Taunton walk to benefit Project Lifesaver

TAUNTON — A Taunton mother and father hope to enlist their community’s support for a unique walk-a-thon event intended to provide a greater sense of security for parents of children with autism.

Maria and John Santarpia, both 44, and three others on their committee have organized what they call their “Take Me Home Safely Walk” at the running track of Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School.

The May 17 fundraiser starts at 10 a.m., with registration scheduled for 9 to 9:30 a.m.

All the money from the noncompetitive walk, they said, will go to families of autistic children who otherwise might not be able to afford the $300 for a wristband that potentially could save the life of their child.

The wristband is sold by LoJack Corporation, the Canton-based company known for its stolen-vehicle recovery system of the same name.

A battery operated, one-ounce, water-resistant wristband emits a tracking signal every second that can be tracked by police departments and law enforcement agencies equipped with a corresponding handheld mobile location device.

Both the wristband and locator are part of a system created by a nonprofit called Project Lifesaver International.

The 501(c)(3) claims its program is responsible for having performed more than 2,700 searches over the past 14 years with no reported serious injuries or fatalities.

It also says more than 1,300 agencies in the U.S., Canada and Australia participate in the program, which is designed to track children with autism and Down syndrome — as well as adults suffering Alzheimer’s disease — who put themselves in harm’s way by wandering off unattended.

The Taunton walk-a-thon is affiliated with Dreams for Emily, a nonprofit created the Santarpias for their now 5-year-old daughter, who was born with a rare chromosome abnormality called Isodicentric 15, or idic 15 for short.

Although she’s adding words to her vocabulary, Emily is technically non-verbal and relies, in part, on an iPad equipped with Proloquo2Go — an app that provides a means of verbal communication for kids and adults with a variety of serious disabilities.

Her father, John, who works as a sales associate at the Apple Store in Braintree, said, “it’s better to have it than not wear it,” referring to the special bracelet worn by his daughter, who also has a form of epilepsy.

Emily’s twin sister, Kimberly, was not born with the chromosome abnormality. The Taunton couple also have an older daughter and son in their 20s.

Maria Santarpia is a stay-at-home mom, which allows her to keep tabs on Emily, who puts in a full day at Taunton’s Edward F. Leddy Elementary School, where teachers and specialists work with her the autistic children who attend the Weir Village school.

The Bristol County Sheriff’s Office has run Project Lifesaver in Bristol County since 2006, according to Lt. Fernando Pimental, who trains and certifies local police.

Pimental said every police department in the county is now equipped and trained to participate in the program.

“It helps anybody who is a wander risk,” he said.

Pimental said the county has averaged two or three calls a year from parents or caregivers participating in the program who need help finding a loved one. He says the program currently has 93 “clients.”

The only call so far from Taunton, he said, was a year ago when an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s went missing. Pimental said a passerby spotted and helped the woman before he showed up.

Pimental said his team of six always offer to assist police departments in searching for a person wearing a wristband. He said the handheld locator is effective up to one mile.

“The more people searching the better off they are,” Pimental said.

Taunton police Officer Steven Crowninshield describes himself as a liaison between his department and the sheriff’s office.

“It’s not a perfect system,” said Crowninshield, noting that Project Lifesaver lacks GPS capability, “but it is an effective system.”

The fee to participate in the “Take Me Home Safely Walk” is $15 for adults who pre-register and $20 the day of the event, and $10 for children who pre-register and $15 that day.

Donations can also be made by calling Maria Santarpia at 508-617-7185 or by logging on to www.dreamsforemily.com.

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